Torsion balance scale



June 8, 1937. LE ROY C MORRIS 2,082,968

TORSION BALANCE SCALE Filed June 3, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3nnentorJJzRay C. Morris. /gme Gtt neg June 1937. LE ROY c. MORRIS 2,082,958

TORS ION BALANCE S GALE Filed June 3, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j I JIhwentor lzfiqy G, M0 rris,

/gvw v G meg Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 5 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in balance scales, and particularlyto torsion scales, and an object of my improvements is to provide anapparatus constructed suitably for convenient use in creameries and thelike.

A special object of my improvements is to supply equalized means forreducing vibrations in the moving elements for the better reading of apointer over a graduated scale.

Another object of my improvements is to furnish a plurality of likeresilient torsional bands upon which the medially tiltable beamstructures are mounted medially and at the end parts of the beams, andwhich bands are adapted to resist displacements laterally of the beamstructures while in movement and to render their movements steady andaccurate in the functioning of the scale.

Another object of my improvements is to provide an auxiliary weightdevice movably and removably mounted upon one extremity of the beamstructures, with means for manually shifting the weight device at willinto or out of coaction with said structures, when it is desired toemploy the weight in the operation of balancing and filling to capacityand in equality containers supported upon the scale pans.

Another object of my improvements is to furnish the apparatus withmanually and resiliently controllable locking means for the tiltablebeam structures, releasable therefrom, and which in use rigidly lockthese structures in a state of equilibrium and steadiness when desired.

I have accomplished these objects in successful reduction to practice,by the means and mechanisms illustrated in the appended drawings.

It is to be understood that various modifications in the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts of the apparatus and itsconnections may be made without departure from the principles and scopeof the invention as described herein and defined by the followingclaims.

Fig. 1 is a. front elevation of my scale apparatus, uncased, and withportions broken away or in section. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereofwith the platform pans removed. Fig. 3 is a top plan of the device, alsowith the pans removed. Fig. 4 is an end elevation, and Fig. 5 is a topplan of one of the platform pans of the device.

In creameries and the like an apparatus is required which is constructedfor ready and quick use in the equalizing, and the weighing of thecontents of bottles or other containers, whether one or a plurality ofthem as desired. The auxiliary mechanisms provided in this invention areadapted for any of such uses, and weight means applicable to oneextremity of the beam structures are included for employment atnecessary times.

Referring first tosaid Fig. 1, the numeral I denotes a base body uponwhich said mechanisms are mounted either fixedly or movably, ashereinafter described. Upon this base is fixed a pair of like supports 2to which are rigidly fastened by screws 3 spaced parts of a medialtransverse bridge member 5 of a generally rectangular shape with roundedcorner parts projecting and about which are closely fitted a resilienttorsional band 5, and, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 2 the ends of thisband are fastened to the member 5b by screws 411 secured to a clampingbar as at 40 and 4e to another bar 4a whose ends in turn are fastened byscrews 4b to the member 51).

These fastenings hold the band 5 in tension around the member 5b. Alongitudinally spaced pair of like bridge members 5a and 5b are equallyspaced from the medial member 5 but are not mounted rigidly on the baseI. Like torsion bands 4 are secured by like fastening means around them.The members 5a and Eb, however, have at the top upwardly arcuate partswhich terminate upwardly in cylindrical stems l9.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, a platform pan 2D has a hollow socketed part24 which in each of a pair of these devices are thus removably mountedupon the stems l9, and only upon the end members 5a and 51). Forconvenience, upon each platform 20 are fixed standards 22 therearoundand upon which are fixed in each case the top plate 2| having holes 23to fit milk or cream bottles.

The numerals 8 and 6 respectively denote like vertically spaced beams inparallel like positions above the base member I. As indicated in Fig. 4,the like ends of these beams are secured at top and bottom respectivelyto medial parts of the torsional bands, as 5 and 4, by clamps 8a. and Iand screws 9 and 1, respectively. As shown in Fig. 1, the middle partsof these beams are similarly secured to the middles of the middle band511 at top and bottom of the bridging member 4, by means of clamps 8aand 8b and screws 9. It will be seen, that the beams 8 and 6 aretorsionally supported medially, permitting the beams to be rocked uponthe middle upper part of the torsional band a, but as the latter is thusplaced under torsional strain, the beams when released are quicklyrestored to horizontal equilibrium. A platform I4 is positioned mediallyabove the upper beam 8, and carries rigidly medially along onelongitudinal side an erect pointer I5, whose termination may oscillateacross a scale IS on a plate secured upon a standard I1, which isfastened upon the top of a casing not shown for the apparatus. Theplatform I4 is rigidly supported on vertically disposed standards II andI3 respectively fixed upon the beams 6 and 8.

The numerals 34 and 34a indicate like dashpots mounted upon the endparts of the base member I fixedly, and have central apertures in theirtop walls at (see Fig. 1), traversed by downwardly bent stems 33 fixedrigidly upon the end bridging members 4 (Fig. 1). On the lower ends ofthe stems 33 are fixed pistons 36, normally immersed in a suitableliquid in these dash-pots. As each end of the beam structure has likepistons 36, it is obvious that when the beams are rocked more or lesssuddenly in use the pistons 36 are frictionally retarded by the liquidcoating them, to thus minimize violent rocking of the beam structure,and equally at both terminations thereof. The relatively wide clearancespace in each dash-pot around each piston 35 allows slight swinging ofthe piston 36 therein.

It is desirable at times to lock the beam structures 8 and 6 rigidly ina horizontal position, as when bottles are being mounted removably inthe platform pans 20, or when being removed therefrom. I have provided asimple means for this locking. On the inner face of each swingingbridging members 5a and 5b is a fixed bracket ll disposed horizontally.A longitudinal bar 31 having a medial handle 31f and end furcations 37a,have fixed terminal stems 31o with conical tops 31c impinging upon thelower faces of the brackets when the forked bar 31 in its loweredposition, thus locking both terminations of the beam structure rigidly.When it is desired to unlock the beam structure for use in the weightcomparisons of bottles and their contents upon the platform pans 20 and2|, the handle 8' is rocked upwardly with the bar 31. In Fig. 2 areshown fulcrum pins 39 adjustably mounted in opposite end parts of thebase member I, and upon whose upper ends the inturned end parts of thefurcations 31a may rock up or down. Guide posts 38 fixed in the basemember I loosely traverse elliptic bearing openings 31b in thei'urcations 31a, to prevent loose play thereof. The offset springfingers 4| (see Fig. 3) fixed on the base member I engage the tops ofthe furcations 31a and tend to retain the latter in their downwardlyswung releasing positions when the bar 31 is lifted to release the beamstructure for free swinging oscillations. A fixed standard 42 on thebase member I adjacent the inner face of said bar 31 has a split andlooped spring clip 43 secured thereto at the top fixedly but looselyconnected thereto at the lower end of the standard, the clip as shown inFig. 4 having a medial depressed bend ending below in a convex bend, andthis clip therefore yields to engage the inner face of the bar 31 whendown to releasably secure it in that position with the standard parts310 supporting the brackets 40 horizontally and fixedly to lock the beamstructure. When the bar 31 is swung upwardly the concavity of the clip43 looks the standards 310 in lowered positions.

I have shown in Fig. 3 means for adjusting and limiting the play of thebeam structure from the horizontal. In a like pair of bracket arms 25and 26 fixed on the upper beam 8 and in hollow terminal sleeves 29 and29a thereon is slidably seated the threaded end portion 3la of a shaft3! having an end knob 28. A cylindrical weight is also slidably mountedupon said shaft to be adjusted to and fro therealong in acting to placethe shaft in swinging equilibrium of the beam structures. The bracketsleeve 28o on the bracket 25 is troughed across transversely medially toexpose a threaded part of the shaft 31 therein. A spring finger 3B hav--ing its inner end secured to the beam 8 by a screw 27c, has its freetermination seated in the said sleeve trough, the finger being adaptedto t in the thread of said shaft to lock releasably the shaft 3i andweight 32 in an adjusted position of weight. As the thread on the shaft3! is narrowly troughed between its circling's, the shaft may be movedendwise through the sleeve 29a at will, the finger 3U lifting and ridingover the thread to reengage the thread when the shaft is adjusted.

Referring now to Figs. 1. 2 and I have shown a device operable at timesin loading one end of the beam structure by a Weight of a. determinedamount during the moment when the scale at l5 and it shows the beamstructiufe tilted by different loadings on the platform pans 2i) andThis may be a gram weight, for instance a weight of nine grams shown at55a. in Fig. I, having a top loop 55 for suspension of the weight whenlifted upon an upwardly dished arm lid fixed on a bar 52, the latterbeing supported upon a block 5| having a flat horizontal bracket withhollow sleeve bearing 49 thereon sliclable to and fro or up and downupon a fixed standard 41 on the base i. The bracket 50 has anotherhollow sleeve 48 thereon slidable up and down with the bracket upon adown wardly inverted portion of the standard 41. A coiled spring lla ismounted on said inverted portion and secured its upper end to thestandard bend and stopped at its lower end by the sleeve 48.

Referring to said Fig. 3, also Fig. 2. a fixed standard .38 has topfurcations 5'! between Which pivoted the rear end of an arm 56 whichprojects forwardly under and in contact with the block 5i. Another fixedstandard 45 on th base i has a resilient Wire 46 loosely connected atits upper and lower ends to the standard 45, the arm being in the slackof this wire to press it, but when the arm is in any of its swingingpositions the Wire always engages and brakes it to retain it in itsadjusted up or down position.

The gram weight 55a. of discoidal shape has a depend ng conical frustum55b downwardly hol lowed at "50 to receive therein the upwardly bentsharply pointed end part 53 of an arm projecting from said bar 52, Theweight 55o, when the beam structure is locked fixedly by the loweringlocking of the handled bar 31, is sup-- ported upon the aperturedbracket 44 projecting from the adjacent bridging member, and loweredtherewith, when the bar 37 is raised, and in. both cases when the arm 55is lowered. When the arm 55 is raised however, it lifts the vertical bar52, the point of the arm 53 rising with it and lifting the weight part550 and to separate the weight part 55a upwardly from the bracket 44,and in this instance the beam structure is in free swingable equilibriumwhen the pan or pans 20 are loaded, equally, or both unloaded.

Operation The operator first locks the beam structure by lowering theforked bar 37, after he has if neces sary used the weight device 32 withsliding of the shaft 3! through the bearing sleeve 29a. In case theliquid containers or bottles, one or more on the pans 28, when those onboth pans are compared by reference to the position of the pointer i5over the scale l6, show difierences of content, when the arm 52 islifted to free the beam structure, the arm 56 may be lowered whichlowers the weight 55a upon the bracket 44, and, the bar 3'! being inraised position, the freely tiltabie beam structure then is depressed atthat end, and the operator may then supply to a deficiently filledcontainer more liquid until the beam structure shifts to indicate by thepointer H: on the scale the medial mark there" It is obvious, that bythe above means, by the addition of one container of liquid afteranother on either of the pans Zll alternately, the containers may befilled by the use of the gram weight in each case to bring the loads onthe pans to a measured equality exactly in contents.

The operator, therefore, may proceed with his work continuously incomparing the respective amounts or filling of the respectivecontainers, in removing in sequence the completely filled containers andthen trying out another succession of the more or less completely filledcontainers, to enable him to then properly bring the contents of all thecontainers on the apparatus to an equality, and to effect this withoutloss of time.

I claim:

1. In a scale apparatus having medially pivoted beam-structures, likebrackets fixed an opposite end parts of the beam-structures, and asingle rockable device supported adjacent and alongside the beamstructures, having arms with ofiset standards beneath and releasablyengage able simultaneously terminally with said brackets respectively tohold the beam-structures releasably in locked horizontal position,resilient means engaging arms of said locking devices for releasablyholding the standards in an unlocked. position relative to thebeam-structures, and other resilient means also engageable with saidlocking device between said arms for releasably holding them in lookingengagement with the beam-structures.

2. In a scale apparatus having medially pivoted beam-structures,brackets fixed on opposite end parts of the beam-structures, and movableconnected means, simultaneously operable, for looking or unlocking thebeam-structures, and comprising a bar positioned swingably at one sideof the beam-structures and having end iurcations, the furcations havingend standards rigid therewith to terminally engage said bracketssimultaneously when the bar is swung in one direction to lock thebeam-structures in a horizontally disposed position releasably, andindependent means for resiliently releasably holding said bar andstandards locked with the brackets, or

for resiliently releasably holding the bar in a position where saidstandards are shifted out of engagement with said brackets.

3. In a scale apparatus having medially pivoted beam-structures,brackets fixed on opposite end parts of the beam-structures, and movableconnected means, simultaneously operable, for locking or unlocking thebeam-structures, and comprising a bar positioned swingably at one sideof the beam-structures and having end furcations, the furcations havingend standards with offset terminal detents to engage said brackets attimes, and independent resilient means engaging said bar and itsfur-cations respectively, to lock the furcations when disengaged fromthe brackets, or to releasably lock the bar when swung down to hold theend standards with their end detents engaged with and locking saidbrackets and the beam-structures rigidly.

4:. In a scale apparatus having medially pivoted beam-structures,brackets fixed on opposite end parts of the beam-structures, and movableconnected means, simultaneously operable, for locking or unlocking thebeam-structures, and comprising a handled bar positioned swingably atone side of the beam-structures and having end furcations with raisedand terminally ofiset standards to simultaneously engage and lock withthe brackets to hold the beam-structures rigid in a certain position,means for controlling and releasably locking said bar and standardsrespectively in locked or unlocked positions relative to said brackets,adjustable fuicrum members on which said furcations are swingablymounted, said furcations having elongated bearing apertures, and fixedposts traversing said apertures for maintaining the bar while beingswung against endwise movements.

5. In a scale apparatus having medially pivoted beam-structures, aweight having a top loop and having a recess in its lower end, a rigidseat-= ing ring on one end of the beam-structures to at times seat saidweight to unbalance them, and means releasably engageable with saidweight and operable to unseat it to permit unrestricted movements of thebeam-structures and at other times to be reversed in movement to seatthe weight, said means comprising a pivoted arm, a resilientlycontrolled structure mounted movably on said arm, said structure havingan upwardly concaved stem passed through the weight loop, and havinganother stem beneath said seating ring with a terminal seated in thebottom recess of the weight loosely, whereby when said arm is lifted theweight is lifted by means of the upper stem on said structure to allowthe beam-strum sure to freely oscillate, and when the arm is loweredboth stems are disassociated from the upper and lower parts of theweight respectively to allow the weight to seat upon the seating ring tounbalance the beam-structure.

LE ROY C. MORRIS.

